Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and US President Donald Trump met publicly on Monday for the first time since the US president’s return to the White House, and just four days after he suggested Spain’s withdrawal from NATO. ALSO READ: Trump suggests Spain should be ‘thrown out’ of NATO due to low defence spend.
The meeting took place in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where some 35 international leaders were invited by Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to the signing of the peace agreement for Gaza.
Sánchez and Trump shook hands and shared a joke during their greeting at the ceremony. The US president welcomed Sánchez’s approach with a smile, and they exchanged a few words. Both were smiling.
Trump also tried to turn the handshake moment into a physical power play, pulling Sánchez towards him before releasing his hand with a tap. Sánchez, for his part, maintained a diplomatic smile.
Later, during his speech at the event, Trump thanked the leaders one by one. When he publicly addressed Sánchez to thank him, he took the opportunity to question him about NATO defence spending (see video link below). ‘Are you working here on the GDP issue? We’ll get closer to that. You’re doing a fantastic job,’ he said.
Last Thursday, Trump had hinted that Spain should face expulsion from NATO because of its reluctance to meet the alliance’s new, higher defence spending benchmark that he pushed through earlier this year.
‘We had one laggard, it was Spain,’ Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. ‘They have no excuse not to do this, but that’s all right. Maybe you should throw them out of NATO frankly.’ ALSO READ: NATO leaders agree to increase spending and reiterate ‘ironclad commitment’ to collective defence.
Spain’s socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has maintained that Spain does not need to meet the headline 5% of GDP figure, as the country remains among NATO’s lowest spenders in proportional defence outlay. ALSO READ: Spain reaches deal with NATO to be excluded from 5% defence spending goal.
Trump and Sánchez previously met in 2019 in Osaka for a G20 meeting. They also met in 2018 in New York for a celebration of the United Nations General Assembly.
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